PI reverses car over legs of two sleeping pilgrims

Sakal Times

Tuesday, 6 March 2018

Pune: A police inspector currently posted with the Satara district police allegedly injured two devotees of Shri Swami Samarth by running his car over their legs while parking in his society in Karve Nagar on Monday.

Pune: A police inspector currently posted with the Satara district police allegedly injured two devotees of Shri Swami Samarth by running his car over their legs while parking in his society in Karve Nagar on Monday.

The devotees, who were part of a procession, were sleeping in the parking area of Siddhi Sankalp Housing Society, a MHADA project. The incident took place around at 10.30 pm when Police Inspector Chandrakant Bendare entered the society. He allegedly ran over the legs of two devotees while reversing his car. The injured persons have been identified as Kuber Saudagar Waghmare (68) and Tukaram Raju Pawar (74), both warkaris from Solapur district.

As per the complaint lodged by Police Naik Saurabh Katke, he had gone to the spot after getting information from the police control room. “When I went there with my colleague, a group of about 40 people had gathered around the car. We were told that the car driver and other residents have taken the victims to a private hospital. I informed the night round officer, PSI GB Mane, who reached there and dispersed the crowd.

By the time we reached the hospital, doctors had informed Alankar police station. Both the victims have sustained minor injuries. In their statements, they said that as Bendre has paid for their treatment, they don’t want to lodge a complaint against him. When we enquired with Bendre at his flat, he said that the incident took place while he was reversing his car. Even though the injured persons don’t want to file a complaint, Bendre’s act is a crime and hence, I am filling the complaint,” the FIR states.

However, local residents alleged that Bendre had not shifted the injured to the hospital and had gone to his flat, and the police were reluctant to register a case against him. The FIR was registered late on Tuesday night. Savita Balkavade, a local resident, said, “Bendre used foul language and asked us to lodge a complaint with the police. He even pulled out his revolver.”

Bendre has been booked for offences under sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).